Turnbull to remain at Motherwell as Celtic deal collapses

Motherwell midfielder David Turnbull's move to Celtic has collapsed after the clubs failed to re-negotiate fresh terms.

The Hoops asked for further talks on their £3.25million swoop for the 19-year-old after a medical uncovered an existing knee complaint.

But Well chiefs have now announced the deal is off after failing to reach an acceptable compromise with their Parkhead counterparts.

The Fir Park bosses have confirmed the Scottish Football Writers Association's Young Player of the Year now requires surgery and do not know how long he will be out of action.

In a statement, the Steelmen said: "David Turnbull is to remain a Motherwell player, with a proposed move to Celtic FC no longer taking place.

"An agreement was reached with the Glasgow club on 12 June, subject to the player agreeing personal terms, which he did, and undergoing a medical.

"During that medical process, an issue was identified that will require David to have immediate preventative surgery and subsequent rehabilitation.

"Celtic were still keen to sign the player despite this matter arising. But having presented revised transfer terms to Motherwell, the clubs could not reach an agreement.''

The statement added: "David will now remain at Fir Park and will shortly have an operation which will rule him out of any football for an extended period, the exact length to be determined following surgery.

"We will give David all the support he needs during this process. We wish him the best with his procedure and rehabilitation, and look forward to watching him play in claret and amber again in the near future.''

Celtic also released a statement following the deal collapsing: "It is unfortunate that we were not able to proceed with the transfer of David to Celtic, having agreed a significant fee with Motherwell and reaching agreement with the player.

"It is regrettable that David will be out of action for a considerable length of time and, clearly, these circumstances are totally outwith the club's control. We did everything we could to find a solution.

"We would like to thank David and his representatives for the professionalism they have shown throughout. We also thank Motherwell FC for the way they have handled this process.

"We wish David all the very best with the operation and every success for the future.

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